Signs You're Being Sexually Harassed at Work

Posted on Jan 29, 2015 12:55pm PST

Employees often feel pressured to look the other way when sexual harassment
occurs. If they voice their concerns, they may be told that the offensive
behavior was nothing to get upset about. However, sexual harassment should
never be ignored or condoned. If you feel that you're being sexually
harassed in the workplace, you can turn to a sexual harassment lawyer
serving San Jose for help. Your
labor law attorneymay recommend that you keep detailed records of all instances of offensive
behavior to support your claim.

You've Been Asked for a Sexual Favor at WorkSometimes, sexual harassment is overt. You may have been asked for a sexual
favor by a supervisor in exchange for a raise or a promotion. Or, you
may have been told that unless you agreed to the sexual favor, you would
be fired or demoted. Employment law recognizes this type of discrimination
as quid pro quo sexual harassment. Although it may seem that it would
be difficult to prove what someone else has told you, you'll find
that a sexual harassment attorney can bring powerful investigative tools
to the case.

You've Seen Offensive Images or Heard Offensive RemarksOther types of sexual harassment are less obvious than quid pro quo sexual
harassment, such as being subjected to offensive images or language. For example, a co-worker or supervisor may have sent an email containing
inappropriate images or language. A co-worker might hang an offensive
calendar in a workspace. These are all signs that you've been sexually
harassed at work – even if the images were not sent directly to
you. Additionally, bear in mind that some types of language may constitute
sexual harassment even if it is not sexual in nature. For example, a supervisor
might call the female employees by non-sexual, yet offensive names, while
refraining from doing so to the male employees. This is also a form of
sexual harassment.

A Hostile Working Environment Makes You UncomfortableIf you feel uncomfortable going to work, you may be the victim of sexual
harassment. Employment law recognizes that not all acts of sexual harassment
may be directed at a particular victim. Instead, your sexual harassment
attorney may file a claim on your behalf based on the maintenance of a
hostile work environment.